2019 RHS Data

The majority of Rockville High School Students do NOT use drugs and alcohol.

However there is still work to be done.

Only 20.4% of RHS students believe e-cigarettes are harmful and the 2018 Monitoring the Future Survey showed nicotine use as the largest one-year jump for any substance in the entire 45 years it has been conducting the survey, this continued in the 2019 survey.

Only 11.1% of RHS students believe that regular marijuana use is harmful and only 72.6% of them believe that their parents would view marijuana use as wrong. Only 35.7% believe their friends would disapprove of use.

Source: Pride Surveys Report: 2018-19 Rockville High School

Unfortunately, sexual minorities often face social stigma, discrimination, and other challenges like violence and harassment, not experienced by those who identify as heterosexual. These challenges mixed with other stressors lead sexual minorities to be at an increased risk for substance use. According to SAMHSA, substance use disorders affect 20 to 30% of the LGBTQIA+ population, compared to 8.4% of the general population. People who identify as gay and lesbian are more than twice as likely as those who identify as heterosexual to have a severe alcohol or tobacco use disorder. That number raises to three times as likely for people who identify as bisexual, and five times as likely for people who are unsure how to identify their sexuality (National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2017). The Vernon ROCKS Coalition wants everyone to know there are supportive people, and resources to help and you are not alone. We stand in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community. Visit our website for more information. www.vernonrocksct.org/pride-month/... See MoreSee Less